Choir Leadership
Karen Chester-Amengor
Choir Director
Karen has sung with numerous choral groups and holds the distinction of being one of Gulf Coast Community Choir’s founding members, stepping into the role of Choir Director in 2019.
A graduate of Florida State University and the University of South Florida, Karen hails from a musical family. She has also performed on both flute and piano throughout the community on many occasions.
For over 28 years, she has been an educator in the Sarasota County Public School System and is equally dedicated to both teaching and music.
Karen is happily married to Mr. Sena Amengor, and in their spare time, they enjoy traveling, reading, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
“Music is truly a universal language,” says Karen, and what she has found most rewarding about her 26 years with the choir are “the opportunities to connect with others through our domestic and international experiences.”
Holly DeWitt
Accompanist
After being a music educator for 30 years, Holly changed positions at school, and music making was no longer a part of her daily life. She is currently the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Coordinator at Brookside Middle School. What she enjoys most about accompanying the choir is the opportunity to keep playing!
Her musicality and attention to detail, along with her ability to adapt and respond to both the director and the choir ensure a level of support that enhances rehearsals and performances.
Holly also enjoys the mutual love of music that Gulf Coast Community Choir members share and the camaraderie of the group. She believes that music has the power to encourage and uplift and considers it a true blessing in her life.
A native of Sarasota, Holly received both Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from Florida State University. She and her husband Jay have two adult sons.
